Looking at getting another truck...

[lil_Blue_Ford]

If it only took one good bump to make it leak, it's probably better you discovered it now rather than driving down the road sometime...

Do those have metal tanks? I thought ford had learned their lesson about steel gas tanks by then? No?

Yea, it's got steel tanks... or at least the back one is steel. Previous owner said he replaced one of the tanks but couldn't remember when or which one, I'm assuming it was the rear tank (the one that sprung a leak) cuz it doesn't have any undercoating on it. Guy prolly cheaped out an got a tank made in china....

So I started looking around for a new tank, LMC (and a couple other places) only have metal tanks and all but one wants $120-160 for a metal tank. The other place with a steel tank is local (over in the middle of the state) and they want $70 for one, plus it's in stock and would be here right away. The few poly tanks I was able to find start at around $130 and go up to near $200. I kinda hate to drop the extra coin on a poly tank cuz I have no idea how long I'll have this truck, but at the same time I don't want the tank to rust out in a couple years. I thought about dropping the tank that's in it now an see about fixing it, but if the seam split that easily, it prolly isn't worth trying to fix.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

Isn't the rear tank the small one? If you aren't planning on doing a lot of interstate driving in it, I'd just wait a while living on the front tank and save $20 bucks a month until you can afford a nice plastic tank for it. That way it wouldn't be such a budget shock. It's not like it won't drive without it.

 

[darkspork]

There impossible to kill, they make the 3.0 (that everyone thinks is the most reliable RBV engine...i say 2.9 but whatever)

If the 3.0L is the most reliable RBV engine I am having serious second thoughts about buying a Ranger. The 3.0 Aerostar is the only vehicle I've driven that went through 2 engines in 140k miles. The second one (rebuilt with only 40k miles on it) had 1 1/2 inches of play in the crankshaft due to a cracked block, ran terrible and couldn't pass smog. I really hope my 4.0L is more reliable than that.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

If the 3.0L is the most reliable RBV engine I am having serious second thoughts about buying a Ranger. The 3.0 Aerostar is the only vehicle I've driven that went through 2 engines in 140k miles. The second one (rebuilt with only 40k miles on it) had 1 1/2 inches of play in the crankshaft due to a cracked block, ran terrible and couldn't pass smog. I really hope my 4.0L is more reliable than that.

Don't feel bad, Dustin keeps trying to tell me that the 2.9 is the best motor for a RBV, but I've toasted three of them so far (one ate a couple valves off a World Products head) and the others cracked/warped heads.

Then there's the BII I bought with a 2.9 that near as I could tell it had around 250,000 miles on the original motor. I thought I killed it when I did a tune-up to it and it sat coughing and sputtering on the shop floor for a good 5 minutes before it smoothed out and started purring. I sold it when it had around 275k on the clock and it still was going strong.

Most of my other ones right now are 85k-115k an going strong.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Isn't the rear tank the small one? If you aren't planning on doing a lot of interstate driving in it, I'd just wait a while living on the front tank and save $20 bucks a month until you can afford a nice plastic tank for it. That way it wouldn't be such a budget shock. It's not like it won't drive without it.

Actually, the rear tank is a 19 gallon and the front is supposed to be either a 16 or 19 gallon.

I probably woln't be doing much interstate driving with it, but it will likely be used for hauling material for work this summer and I know from running the F-350 dumps for my old boss that it's nice not having to stop for gas when you're hauling material, just flip to the other tank an get gas at the end of the day. I have the money that I could get the tank now, I just hesitate cuz in the past two weeks I've spent about 2,800. Starting to feel like I just need to take a step back and take a breath or two before spending more, but I still need to see about getting some toolboxes (metal crossbox and at least one side box) and rebuild my leaf spring packs.

Guess I'll sleep on things an re-evaluate tomorrow.

 

[darkspork]

Don't feel bad, Dustin keeps trying to tell me that the 2.9 is the best motor for a RBV, but I've toasted three of them so far (one ate a couple valves off a World Products head) and the others cracked/warped heads.

Then there's the BII I bought with a 2.9 that near as I could tell it had around 250,000 miles on the original motor. I thought I killed it when I did a tune-up to it and it sat coughing and sputtering on the shop floor for a good 5 minutes before it smoothed out and started purring. I sold it when it had around 275k on the clock and it still was going strong.

Most of my other ones right now are 85k-115k an going strong.

Actually I was commenting on the 3.0L comment. From what I've seen and read a lot on the forums, the 2.9L is a pretty solid engine. The only one I had driven was paired with an automatic transmission and for that reason I hated it.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Actually I was commenting on the 3.0L comment. From what I've seen and read a lot on the forums, the 2.9L is a pretty solid engine. The only one I had driven was paired with an automatic transmission and for that reason I hated it.

I know you were talking about the 3.0, but I've only owned one of those so far, lol. I was just pointing out that I've had my problems with motors but I love my Fords enough that I would rather deal any problems than buy something else.

 

[88rangerboy]

I was always under the impression the 2.9 and 4.0 were the better RBV engines, but I had a 3.0 once that I drove the living **** out of and it didn't quit on me until I started being easy on it. Some people get a truck that'll last forever, and some just end up with a lemon.I guess it just depends on how good your luck is.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

The XL and some hit or miss XLT's got a 16 gal front and a 19 gal rear. The lariets got5 dual 19's.

As far as the RBV engines, the reason i dont care for the 3.0 is its lack of anything resembling torque. A 2.9L will absoutly tear it in two in that department.

later,
Dustin

 

[Jspafford]

My 2.9, even with 3.45 gears and 160K is still snappy.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

The XL and some hit or miss XLT's got a 16 gal front and a 19 gal rear. The lariets got5 dual 19's.

As far as the RBV engines, the reason i dont care for the 3.0 is its lack of anything resembling torque. A 2.9L will absoutly tear it in two in that department.

later,
Dustin

Mine is an XL, but I don't think my front tank is the 16 gallon... I would go check the gas slip to see how much I put in the front tank last fill up, but it's raining and I don't feel like going outside, at least not until I get the wiring for the radio fixed and go out to install it... talk about a hack job on that...

 

[darkspork]

I know you were talking about the 3.0, but I've only owned one of those so far, lol. I was just pointing out that I've had my problems with motors but I love my Fords enough that I would rather deal any problems than buy something else.

Agreed. I use to really like Chevy's but they stopped making anything I would want 10 years ago, plus it seems their reliability on their trucks started slipping a while ago too.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Agreed. I use to really like Chevy's but they stopped making anything I would want 10 years ago, plus it seems their reliability on their trucks started slipping a while ago too.

I agree. Not that I've owned any chevys, but I've been around enough of them to know that the newer ones just feel cheap and junky compared to the older ones.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

New pics!

So I finally got around to getting a few more pics up....

Right spring hanger...

Left spring hanger...


Yea, both are getting fixed... or at least I'm trying to... the one on the right side of the truck disintegrated when I tried undoing the bolt for the shackle. It's also the side where the bolt is froze in the shackle bushing no matter what I've tried. I got a new set of bushings today (hopefully they're the right ones), but with all the rain didn't want to go outside and sit in the river of water flowing across the driveway and work in the rain, lol.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

The rims I got... well, one of them anyway...

The reason why the radio didn't work right... nothing like a professional hack-job... Couple house wiring nuts, they smashed a couple bullet connectors flat because they only had one half of the bullet connector, and a couple crimp-ons for good measure. Plus a few bare wires that got cut or pulled apart when they jammed the thing in the dash...

Much better! Now the radio works (but I'm suspicious that not all the speakers are working, but I'll save that for another day).